Main Cast: Marlon Brando, Jean Peters, Anthony Quinn, Joseph Wiseman, Arnold Moss
Release Year: 1952
Country: US
Run Time: 112 minutes
Plot
Produced by Darryl F. Zanuck and directed by Elia Kazan, this film follows the life of Mexican revolutionary leader Emiliano Zapata (Marlon Brando) from his peasant upbringing, through his rise to power in the early 1900s, to his death. The film presents an interesting but fictionalized picture of Zapata. Zapata, the child of tenant-farmers, was joined by Pancho Villa in his rebellion against tyrannical President Porfirio Diaz. The film romanticizes Zapata and in doing so unfortunately distorts the true nature of the wars he waged. Zapata fought, not to conquer Mexico but to free the land for the peasants of Morelos and other southern provinces. The Oscar-nominated screenplay by John Steinbeck ignores some historical details in order to focus on the corruptive influence of power. Marlon Brando won an Academy Award nomination for his work, as did Anthony Quinn, who took home the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his headstrong, hard-fighting, hard-drinking, intensely romantic character who does not hesitate to die for love. The film also features a beautiful score by Alex North, who also received an Academy Award nomination. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
Review
Kazan's rousing semi-fictional account of the key years of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata has an epic sweep and the director's characteristic macho poetry, along with a superb cast, but it's stronger in its parts than as a whole. The script reflects Kazan's desire to reconfigure his "friendly" testimony before HUAC and denunciation of his former political allies as the grand gesture of a man repelled by the machinations of politics. Zapata, who was both more barbaric and less ambitious than the film allows, was a fierce fighter for the self-determination of the peasants, but not quite the noble peasant depicted. While the film tends to bog down in rhetoric at times, the action is invariably well-choreographed and beautifully shot, reflecting the influence of Eisenstein and archival photographs from the Historia Grafica de la Revolucion. Early Brando with Kazan is always worth watching, and his scowl of indignation galvanizes the film in a way that the diffuse script never quite achieves. Quinn is ideal as a crude foil for the more mercurial star, and Joseph Wiseman has the best role of his career as the kind of apparatchik Kazan clearly despised. Of his work with Brando on the film, Kazan wrote, "Sometimes the best direction consists of reading an actor's face, and, when you see the right thing there, simply nodding. A few words, a touch, and a smile will do it. Then wait for a miracle. With Marlon, it often happened." ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide
Margo - Soldadera; Alan Reed, Sr. - Pancho Villa; Harold Gordon - Don Francisco Madero; Lou Gilbert - Pablo; Mildred Dunnock - Senora Espejo; Frank Silvera - Huerta; Nina Varela - Aunt; Florenz Ames - Senor Espejo; Bernie Gozier - Zapatista; Frank de Kova - Col. Guajardo; Pedro Regas - Innocente; Richard Garrick - Old General; Fay Roope - Diaz; Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. - Officer; Leonard George - Husband; Will Kuluva - Lazaro; Abner Biberman - Captain; Philip Van Zandt - Extra; Henry Corden - Senior Officer; Fernanda Eliscu - Fuentes' Wife; Robert Filmer - Captain; Joseph Granby - Gen. Fuentes; George Lewis - Rurale; Peter Mamakos - Soldier; Belle Mitchell - Nacio's Wife; Nestor Paiva - New General; Ric Roman - Manager; Henry Silva - Peon who challenges "president" Zapata; Guy Thomajan - Eduardo; Julia Montoya - Wife
Argentinean band Viva Zapata was formed by singer/songwriter Roxana Amed and guitarist/composer/former Atracción Fatal Fernando Bustos, who met in 1994, shared their ideas about music, and decided to create an alternative act focusing on social issues. Soon after, Bustos and Amed were joined by ex-El Rio Sabe keyboardist Sergio D'Ambrosio, ex-Alcoholica and Presión Urbana drummer Lucas Becerra, and ex-La Raja guitarist Diego Epelbaum. The band started interacting with similar numbers in 1995, soon issuing Pueblos En Armas. ~ Drago Bonacich, All Music Guide
Viva Zapata! is a 1952biographical film directed by Elia Kazan. The screenplay was written by John Steinbeck, using as a guide Edgcomb Pinchon's book, 'Zapata the Unconquerable', a fact that is not credited in the titles of the film. It is a fictionalized account of the life of Mexican RevolutionaryEmiliano Zapata from his peasant upbringing, through his rise to power in the early 1900s, to his death. To give the film as authentic a feel as possible, Kazan and producer Darryl F. Zanuck studied the numerous photographs that were taken during the revolutionary years, the period between 1909 and 1919 when Zapata led the fight to restore land taken from the people during the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz. Kazan was especially impressed with the Agustin Casasola collection of photographs and he attempted to duplicate their visual style in the film. Kazan also acknowledged the influence of Roberto Rosselini's Paisan.[1]
Zapata (Marlon Brando) is part of a delegation sent to complain about injustices to corrupt longtime President Porfirio Díaz (Fay Roope), but Díaz condescendingly dismisses their concerns. As a result, Zapata is driven to open rebellion, along with his brother Eufemio (Anthony Quinn). He in the south and Pancho Villa (Alan Reed) in the north unite under the leadership of naive reformer Francisco Madero (Harold Gordon).
Díaz is finally toppled and Madero takes his place, but Zapata is dismayed to find that nothing is changed. The new regime is no less corrupt and self-serving than the one it replaced. His own brother sets himself up as a petty dictator, taking what he wants without regard for the law. The ineffectual but well-meaning Madero puts his trust in treacherous General Victoriano Huerta (Frank Silvera). Huerta first takes Madero captive and then has him murdered. Zapata himself is lured into an ambush and killed.
Zapata is depicted in the film as an incorruptible rebel leader. He is guided by his desire to return the land to the peasants, who have been robbed, while forsaking his personal interest. Steinbeck meditates in the film on power, military and political, which corrupts men. Zapata excepted.
The film tends to romanticize Zapata and in doing so distorts the true nature of the Mexican Revolution. Zapata fought to free the land for the peasants of Morelos and the other southern Mexican states. Additionally, the movie inaccurately portrays Zapata as illiterate. In reality, he grew up in a family with some land and money and received an education.
Barbara Leaming writes in her biography of Marilyn Monroe that the actress tried and failed to obtain a part in this picture, presumably due to Darryl F. Zanuck's lack of faith in her ability, both as an actress and as a box office draw.
John Steinbeck wrote a book titled Zapata. The original screenplay was written by the author and the book contains a newly found introduction by Steinbeck, the original proposed screenplay, and the official movie script.
References
^ Tony Thomas 'The Films of Marlon Brando' page 47 ISBN0-8065-0481-1
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